WIND & WUTHERING

I just started to get into prog right after this album came out, so it happened to be the first Genesis album I owned on vinyl, (I had Foxtrot and Nursery Cryme together on one cassette). Right from the start I was mesmorized, being a huge fan of YES, which was the first prog band I fell in love with, I was taken by the cover of 'Wind and Wuthering' and the first song, "Eleventh Earl Of Mar" encapsulated everything that the cover invoked, that time right before autumn when leaves start to change and the days grow shorter. "One For The Vine" further portrayed the feeling of meloncholy, Bank's subtle keyboards/Mellotron, Hacketts slow soaring guitar and Collin's masterly drumwork, it's my favorite track on the album and one of the best songs, progwise, since Gabriel's departure. The middle section is a mixed bag. "Your Own Special Way" with Hackett's twangy country- like guitar seems out of place and "Wot Gorilla?" also has a 'sticks out like a sore thumb' feel given the cover's somberness. "All In A Mouse's Night" harkens back to Genesis's humorous side ala "Harold The Barrel" and "Robbery, Assault and Battery". From then on, the greyness comes back courtesy of Hackett's guitar and Banks keyboards. In fact, I think with the beginning of "Blood On The Rooftops" acoustic guitar and Bank's Mellotron playing together, it's just pure heaven. "....In That Quiet Earth" for me is Hackett's shining moment with the band, it's pure and powerful. A plain shame that this album had to be his last, but at least for me he went out with a serious bang. The album ends with the beautiful "Afterglow". It's hard for me not to give this grand album 5 stars, but of not for the two songs that seem out of place it would have garnered the score. But still, it's 4.5 out of 5 and I will bump it to 5 cause I LUVS it so much :-)